Future geologists enjoy real-life insights into value of GIM

Undoubtedly, the mining sector landscape is changing. Future geologists need to be equipped to manage upcoming challenges of the natural resources industry.

acQuire is actively tending to this need with the establishment of university lectures and workshops in each corner of the globe with three of the most highly respected mines schools. In partnership with Curtin University (WA School of Mines), the University of Pretoria (Department of Mining Engineering), and next year, the University of Exeter (Camborne School of Mines), acQuire is offering mining geology students an insight into the principles of geoscientific information management (GIM) and the value GIM brings to the mining value chain.

The lectures give students essential hands-on experience with industry standard software, preparing them for working in the geological field. While a lot of students may be exposed to mine planning and mine modelling processes and software, the introduction to GIM – with the use of real-life workplace examples – ensures they focus on the importance of having the right data to start with to ensure greater efficiencies and productivity from the outset.

acQuire ran lectures for WASM earlier this year which were very well received. Dr Mehrooz Aspiandar, Senior Lecturer, Department of Applied Geology at WASM, said, “The concepts covered by the acQuire team form the backbone to the decisions these prospective geologists will be making on a daily basis in the industry“.

acQuire’s Warren Cook, Corporate and Product Strategy, has been working with Professor Hylke J Glass, Rio Tinto Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Camborne School of Mines, with a view for acQuire to contribute to the Mineral Resource Assessment – part of the MSc Mining Geology. The GIM lectures are due to be delivered in January 2017.

At the University of Pretoria, acQuire has delivered presentations and GIM Suite demonstrations to near-on 150 students with resounding success. This included final (fourth) year Mining Engineering students and Geology students across the slate – from undergraduate, to honours, to postgraduate students and staff.

The presentations were very well received, and resulted in eight Geology postgrad students completing acQuire Learning units, five of whom acquired access to GIM Suite on Azure cloud.

Discussions are underway for acQuire to return regularly to give GIM Suite demonstrations and lectures on GIM.

“The importance of managing your exploration and resource data well is a critical task for every geologist”, said Warren Cook.

“I wish I got this information while I was at university in the mid-80s. It’s been a real pleasure in delivering these lectures to the students.”

With acQuire GIM Solutions used in over 450 sites around the world, there is a clear benefit for students to have an overview of the intrinsic value of geoscientific information management and exposure to the acQuire GIM Suite software. acQuire’s GIM Suite software enables the capture, management and delivery of geoscientific observations and measurements. The GIM Suite is used in the office and in the field across a variety of devices.